September 28, 2010 Low-Carb Menu

9:30AM
1 cup unsweetened almond milk and Peanut Butter Supreme QuestBar

1:30PM
1/3 pound hamburger patty with 1 ounce American cheese, pickle, mustard, and 1 ounce mayo, mashed cauliflower with 1 Tbs butter, 1 1/2 cups salad greens and spinach leaves with 2 ounces cheddar cheese, 2 boiled eggs, 2 slices crumbled bacon bits, and 2 Tbs Ranch dressing

8:30PM
1/2 pound grassfed ground beef, American cheese, and Ranch dressing

CALORIES: ~2400
TOTAL CARBS: 45g
NET CARBS: 27g

NOTE: I don't know if it's because I've been writing more about some of my weight struggles as of late or what, but I'm getting a whole lot more e-mails from people who are experiencing similar frustrations in their weight loss efforts too. If this were an issue that could be answered with a simple response like "eat low-carb and everything will be okay," then nobody who committed themselves to livin' la vida low-carb would ever struggle. But you and I both know there are some of us who ARE eating low-carb, doing all the right things, and yet that weight just keeps on being stubborn.

And everybody and their momma has their own personal theory about what's happening--you're eating too many calories, not eating enough calories, exercising too little, not getting the right kind of exercise, blah blah blah. I know people who offer up these unsolicited tips are well-meaning when they do it. But when you've tried those things and they really haven't done much for you, hearing them can actually make you become numb to it all. This can be dangerous for people who believe low-carb should ONLY be about weight loss. How many health benefits of this way of eating are being overlooked in this obsession over weight?

A great example of this is an e-mail that I received just today from a Facebook friend who is a Type 1 diabetic experiencing some truly remarkable changes in his health:

Quick background: 35 year old type 1, insulin pump 4.5 years, low carbing for almost three years.

One thing us type 1's can do is measure our insulin usage. "If you can measure it, you can manage it"

From before I started pumping, my averages have gone like this:

2005 120u/day
2006 after pumping = 90u
2008 initial carb reduction under 150g/day = 75u
2009-2010 carbs 50-100g = 55u
2010 May gluten free
2010 removing all milk, carbs 50g = 45u
2010 removing most fruit and targeting 30g/day = 30u

I'm now down to 30u per day of insulin compared to 120u per day five years ago. Wow. I feel good, I'm much more active, and I'm down about 20lbs.

The issue I have is my weight hasn't fallen like I see others lose it. I dropped 8-10lbs in July 2008 when I initially lowered my carbs, but it stayed pretty level for about a year and a half floating between 238 and 242. This june when I dropped carbs to 50g I started losing slowly again. I was 238 and I hit 228 in early sept, not bad. Since then I've been even more strict with carbs, I've had two apples and three choc bars since, and my daily average is in the low 30's. I've had to drop my basal rates by 25%! I've walked 2 to 5 miles a day in septermber. I don't think there's hidden carbs; my insulin doesn't lie...[unless I'm now making some of my own ... I don't suppose going gluten free could trigger a re-growth of cells ... naaaw]

I've lost no weight in September despite my increased efforts. My belly is still big!

My doctors are totally useless. They think this stuff is witchcraft.

I'm not looking for personal advice, but I am wondering if you can point me to some ideas, maybe some blog posts, some of your interviews, anything. I have the feeling there's something else going on, maybe something special about us type 1's. I know about amylin, and I try for low-bulk meals per bernstein. My insulin use indicates success here. Maybe I just need to be patient.

I'm also very curious why when I drop my carbs low I have to reduce my basal insulins. I've done it twice now. I previously had to increase back up when I didn't hold my carbs low enough. It seems there's a switch, maybe when I hit ketosis? My body just doesn't put out the same sugar levels when I'm in this state. I've been 80 mg/dl ketones just about all this month. A 25% drop in basals is not insignifiicant.

This is what I'm talking about. Here's a Type 1 who cut down on his insulin by 75% since 2005 and 66% since he started reducing his carbohydrate intake and he's still worried about his weight. While I'm sure we'd all love to be at a certain weight for vanity and psychological reasons, the fact is this guy is a walking, talking testament to the amazing health impact of low-carb living! If there were a drug that would reduce your need for insulin by a factor of even 10%, it would be heralded as a major medical breakthrough. But here is a natural dietary means for doing so much more than that and the focus is on the weight loss.

I suppose we can blame this warped mentality about diet on our culture which has told us the scale is the only measurement that counts in determining your success or failure following a plan. If you don't lose weight, then there is no redeeming value in following a diet--at least that's what they say. But look at what low-carb does for you--improved blood sugar and insulin levels, an increase in HDL good cholesterol, a significant drop in triglycerides, a decrease in small, dense LDL particles, lower blood pressure, and so much more! This was one of the reasons I wrote my second book 21 Life Lessons From Livin' La Vida Low-Carb was because I got so tired of people thinking low-carb is ONLY about losing weight. It is not and I'd even argue it's not even the primary reason for low-carbing. The healthy low-carb lifestyle is about improving your health without the use of pharmaceutical medications by eating delicious and nutritious foods like eggs, full-fat meats and cheeses, and non-starchy veggies. If I never lost another pound of weight on the scale, I'd keep eating low-carb to maintain my health.

If you are struggling with your weight and feel discouraged about what to do, take heart my friend. You are not alone and it's not your fault if you are doing everything right. I'm more and more convinced that those of us who have experienced morbid obesity have so damaged our metabolisms that it makes it that much more difficult for us to have our bodies get to the place we want them to be. I shudder to think where I'd be physically today had low-carb never entered my life. Perhaps I would be joining my brother Kevin in a grave at an early age. All I know is I'm a lot better off now than I was just a few years ago and nobody will ever be able to take that away from me. THANK YOU Dr. Atkins for championing the low-carb cause so that people like me could be changed forever the for better!